People are wearing #MSDStrong shirts for nationwide student walkout

Students from James Ferris High School march outside of the school during a student walkout on March 14 in Jersey City, N.J. Students across the country participated in a nationwide walkout Wednesday to protest gun violence, one month after the deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. (Photo: Julio Cortez/AP)

On Wednesday, a month after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., thousands of students participated in a nationwide walkout. While the larger purpose of the protest serves to highlight what some perceive as the U.S. government’s inaction on preventing gun violence, many participants are making smaller statements of their own through posters, chants, and tweets.

One of the more prominent messages was #MSDStrong, seen emblazoned on maroon T-shirts. So where did everyone get their apparel for a good cause? Following the shooting in February, a group of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students launched an e-commerce platform to sell the T-shirts and sweatshirts, which many saved to wear just for this important occasion.

#MSDStrong repped Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS today, and although me buying a t-shirt doesn’t fix the problem at hand, i’m proud to show my support to the community that has gone through the unimaginable. our generation is the change. pic.twitter.com/srGpxrjAay

According to USA Today, the online shop made $175,000 in one week. Profits from the sales of the items — T-shirts are $20 and hoodies are $35 — benefit the Broward Education Foundation’s GoFundMe, which was launched a day after the shooting and has raised $4 million to date.

Not only did people wear the official #MSDStrong shirts, they made their own — with a twist. At Clearwater High School, for example, students sported tees with their own mascot, a tornado, and an eagle to represent solidarity with the nearby Florida school.

Students have designed shirts combined Clearwater’s mascot, the Tornado, with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High’s mascot, the Eagle. pic.twitter.com/LlmkfPBONO

Of course, people also purchased shirts through Etsy, Redbubble, Teespring, and other online stores, all profiting from the tragedy instead of donating the funds to victims. However, the people wearing them seem to be doing so for the right reasons — and that’s what counts.